Dustin Hoffman 'saves life of heart attack jogger'

Dustin Hoffman has helped save the life of a jogger who collapsed with a heart
attack in Hyde Park.

Dustin HoffmanPhoto: Ian West/PA

9:10AM BST 08 May 2012

The Hollywood star, well known for his starring roles in The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, and Rain Man, has a home in Kensington and was taking a walk in the park when he stopped to helped Sam Dempster.

Hoffman, 74, had seen him fall and called 999, later staying at Mr Dempster's side for 15 minutes as paramedics performed CPR and telling them "great job, guys" after his heart started beating again.

Mr Dempster, who emigrated from Australia three weeks ago, was taken to hospital where he had a device fitted to restart his heart should it stop again, in a similar operation to Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed during a football match in March.

The 27-year-old lawyer, originally from Adelaide, in South Australia, had suffered a heart attack during a run on April 27.

He said: "I have no memory of what happened. The paramedics told me I had been saved by Dustin Hoffman. It's unbelievable.

"When we were carrying the patient into the ambulance he walked up and said 'Great job, guys'. He really appreciated what had happened."

Mr Dempster applauded Hoffman and the paramedics on his recovery blog "Heart-throbbing".

He wrote: "A big thank you also to my new found favourite celebrity Dustin Hoffman who called 999 and waited by my side until paramedics arrived and the staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital that stabilised me before I was transferred to the Royal Brompton Hospital."